Below is a summarized version of the Select Board (Department Budgets) night 2 meeting, organized by timestamps and speakers, focusing on key points raised during the discussion in Reading, Massachusetts. This summary condenses the discussion into major themes, speaker contributions, and decisions, avoiding excessive detail while retaining the essence of the conversation. Timestamps correspond to the video linked at the bottom.
Contents
December 9, 2025 Select Board Meeting
🕒 Duration: ~3hr14min
💻 Format: Hybrid (In-person Select Board meeting room & Zoom)
👨⚖️ Chair: Chris Haley
👥 Attendees: Melissa Murphy, Karen Herrick, Karen Rose-Gillis, Carlo Bacci (Remote)
📋 Summary: The Select Board reviewed FY27 department budgets for the Library, Facilities, Administrative & Public Services, and Finance, discussed shared costs and capital planning, voted to extend Town Manager evaluation deadlines, and approved a bond issuance of $68.9M for major projects.
📅 Agenda Overview
| Timestamp | Topic |
|---|---|
01:44 | Meeting Called to Order & Pledge of Allegiance |
02:25 | Library Budget Presentation |
36:02 | Facilities Budget Presentation |
56:39 | Administrative & Public Services Budget Presentation |
1:47:17 | Finance Department Budget & Shared Costs |
2:58:08 | Discussion & Vote: Town Manager Review Deadline Extension |
3:00:06 | Bond Issuance Approval ($68,915,000) |
3:13:34 | Meeting Adjourned |
📚 Library Budget Presentation
⏰ 02:25
- Director: Amy Lannon
- FY27 Request: $2.32M (2.7% increase; $59,950)
- Drivers:
- Salaries = 80% of budget; $52K increase for COLA & steps
- Expense increase = 1.8% ($7,590) for materials & software licensing
- Highlights:
- 175,000 visitors in FY25
- 700 programs; 20,000 scans; 33,000 pages printed
- 84,000 eBooks, 39,000 audiobooks, 30+ databases
- ROI: $9M in community value; $4.15 return per $1 invested
- Concerns: Tight budget limits equity & ADA initiatives; reliance on grants for enhancements
- Board Discussion: Overtime practices, demographic data, Sunday hours utilization, and program funding transparency.
🏢 Facilities Budget Presentation
⏰ 36:02
- Director: Joe Huggins
- Core Facilities: Salaries up 4% (union contracts); no new positions
- Town Buildings: Custodial wages up 4%; outsourced cleaning level-funded
- Expense Highlights:
- Energy costs reduced by 4%
- Maintenance repairs up 4% due to aging infrastructure
- Overall Impact: Combined core & town facilities down 1%
- Future Concerns:
- Operational costs for new Killam School and ReCAL Center
- Anticipated need for 2 additional maintenance staff + 2 custodians
- Board Discussion: Overtime control, long-term maintenance costs, and leveraging Green Communities grants.
🏛️ Administrative & Public Services Budget
⏰ 56:39
- Presenter: Jayne Wellman
- Includes: HR, Town Clerk & Elections, Operations, Town Manager’s Office, Community Services, Community Development
- Highlights:
- HR: $236K salaries (+3.15%); pursuing applicant tracking software
- Town Clerk: $194K salaries (+3.5%); elections budget up $59K for 3 elections/year
- Operations: 11.14% expense increase (postage for ballots); salaries up 1.62%
- Community Services: 1.39% overall decrease; ARPA funds ending for senior programs
- Community Development: 1.55% overall increase; added inspector hours for major projects
- Board Discussion: Election funding strategy, inspector staffing model, operational planning for ReCAL, and sponsorships for senior programs.
💰 Finance Department & Shared Costs
⏰ 1:47:17
- Presenter: Sharon Angstrom
- Finance Budget: $2.7% overall increase; salaries up 3.3%; expenses down 1.8%
- Shared Costs:
- Benefits: Up 11.1% (health insurance projected +14%)
- Debt Service: Up significantly due to first tranch of excluded debt for Killam & ReCAL
- Capital: $2.96M (down 27.7%); priorities include road paving ($685K), school tech ($250K), fire safety equipment, and building security servers
- Override Discussion: Structural deficit concerns; free cash use reduced from $6.75M to $6.55M after cuts
- Board Discussion: Employee health contribution (currently 29%), vocational school cost spikes, and debt term strategy (15 vs. 20 years).
🗳️ Town Manager Review Deadline Extension
⏰ 2:58:08
- Vote: Extended review completion to Feb 10, 2026 and contract renewal notice to Feb 16, 2026.
- Reason: Avoid holiday scheduling conflicts; allow thorough evaluation.
💵 Bond Issuance Approval
⏰ 3:00:06
- Amount: $68,915,000 (after applying $6.5M premium)
- Projects Funded:
- Killam School: $50M (20-year term)
- ReCAL Center: $20M (15-year term)
- Birch Meadow Phase 2, Fieldhouse Floor, Pickleball Courts
- Interest Rate: 3.317% (AAA rating reaffirmed)
- Tax Impact:
- Killam: $399.62/year
- ReCAL: $190.98/year
- Based on $900K average home value
- Vote: Unanimous approval (5-0)
✅ Key Summary
- Library: 2.7% increase; strong ROI; equity initiatives constrained by budget limits.
- Facilities: Overall decrease (-1%); future staffing needs for new buildings flagged.
- Admin & Public Services: Elections funding strategy debated; ReCAL operational planning underway.
- Finance & Shared Costs: Health insurance +14%; debt service surge; capital plan trimmed to balance budget.
- Override Pressure: Free cash use remains high ($6.55M); structural deficit acknowledged.
- Bond Issuance Approved: $68.9M for major projects; first debt exclusion impact expected FY27.
- Next Steps: Operational cost projections for ReCAL & Killam; policy discussion on event police details; finalize FY27 budget for FinCom by February.
